More than 10,000 humpback whales make the winter migration past Maui between November and April. REED SAXON, AP

I returned a few days ago from Maui, with a notebook full of new stories. But here are a few bits of news from my wanderings around the Valley Isle.

The one-year-old Paia Inn (93 Hana Hwy, 808-579-6000, paiainn.com, from $189 per night) in the funky north shore town of Paia is a good option for visitors seeking an alternative to the resort districts on the west coast of Maui. I used it as a jumping off point for a day upcountry. It's also at the start of the road to Hana. The outside is painted a bright cornflower yellow. The feel is somewhere between a B&B and a small hotel. There's a fun 150-yard "secret" path to a small beach next to an old World War II era pillbox.

The "vog" — that's volcano fog — has been an issue not just for the Big Island, but occasionally for Oahu and Maui. The result of venting from the Kilauea volcano, it makes for an unpleasant brown haze on the Kona Coast (though the "nuclear sunsets" through the particulate are eye-popping). Check your resort for vog updates before booking.

The other weather feature impacting Maui was El Nino, a Pacific weather current that causes unusually wet winters in California. In Hawaii, it has spawned a series of spectacular surfing days on Maui's famous Jawsbreak on the island's north shore, as well as the nearby wind-surfing beach at Hookipajust west of Paia.

The annual humpback whale migration was under way, with more than 10,000 passing along the north coast of Maui between Lanai and Molokai. With three out of four in our party subject to sea-sickness, we stuck to dry land and still saw a half dozen or so breaching whales. The best perches were on turnouts off the Honoapiliani Highway between Lahaina and Maalaea. The McGregor Point Lookout, just past mile marker 7 on the highway, was best of all. Bring binoculars.

The Hotel Hana-Maui will be sold early this year in a deal to an undisclosed buyer. A luxury destination resort since 1946, the location on the remote, lush eastern edge has made it a struggle for owners in a travel world of quickie vacations. The sale should be finalized in March. Management would say only that the new owners will keep it a hotel and that contrary to widespread local rumors, talk show host and Maui property magnate Oprah Winfreyis not among the buyers.

Clint Eastwood was in Maui, shooting scenes for his upcoming movie, "Hereafter." MauiNews.com reportedLahaina gets wiped out by a tsunami — albeit a computer generated one. So Chez Paul, Longhi's, Kimo's,Cheeseburger In Paradise and seemingly half the T-shirt shops on the island will still be on Front Street next time you visit.

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